sweet little things

It's official. 2014 has arrived. Right on schedule. After the fireworks, we have a fresh outlook and are off and running again. The tree has been taken down and new calendars have been put up. The holiday treats are nearly gone; there was a skirmish for that last piece of fudge!

My PatternBee website is back online again. When you visit the site, you may notice that the PDF purchase buttons are MIA. That's because patterns can now be instantly downloaded through my Vintage Stitch Shop. More about why and how here.

I enjoyed the holiday break, but I'm glad to be back in the saddle again. Doing what I love doing: having fun! Hope you are too.

I think that will be my New Year's motto, inspired by my little pink cyclomen here. Reaching. Upward and onward.

We had a great week! Hope you did to. Not much rain (or snow), just lots of cold and fog. At times, barely above freezing. Inside, with the electric candles and twinkle lights glowing and tiny lamps lit in dark corners--it's cozy. The poor houseplants, however, do struggle along this time of year for lack of light. I keep only a few around the kitchen window now, where I can remember to water them regularly.

The cyclomen stretches tall to absorb the thin light. I finally placed it on a small cake-stand to encourage that one flower before it gave up. New flower buds, I just noticed, are lifting their heads now.

And this handful of sweet basil, cut months ago, lives on in a jar next to the sink. It is awesome how most herb stems will take root like this and thrive happily in nothing but water for months on end. The smell is wonderful. It freshens the air during the winter when the windows can't be left open. Plus, you can always pluck a leaf or two when fresh herbs are needed for sauce or soup. It will not produce a bounty of new stems or leaves though, so I keep the plucking to a minimum.

Children may also find this process fascinating. If this lasts till spring, I will replant it and see how long I can keep the process going.

Our kitchen has been a bustle of activity the past few days. The girls have been busy with their holiday baking. They've had their heads together, pouring over all our many, many holiday baking books for inspiration and ideas. They have a long list of yummy things they plan to make. They do keep it all rather traditional though, so things move along at an even pace. I just take the list, provide the ingredients, step back and let them have at it. So far they've made gingerbread cookies and sugar cookie cut-outs. Banana bread is baking now. Oh, it all smells sooo good. I think blueberry scones and snowballs are next on the list. They have me down for fudge and pan shortbread. I think I can manage that. The Mister is our official taste-tester. And it's also his job to make sure there's a good supply of Christmas music playing in the background. Got all my gift wrapping done. Kicking back a little, taking it all in.

Company is coming, so I will take this time to wish everyone a wonderful holiday, a very Merry Christmas full of warmth and cheer, sugar plum dreams, safe travels and lots of sweet things.

The Christmas crunch. It's here. And there's no time to waste. All that lovely epic snow disappeared and I finally got out of the house last weekend and haven't stopped running since. Normally I don't mind being "snowed in" just as long as it happens at a nice convenient time and I don't have to take the car out. I don't ask for much, do I? Nah.... Oh, that week seemed way too long for some poor folks. When it was all over we heard stories of truly harrowing experiences and counted ourselves lucky. Most of the kids were thrilled to be out of school, but shopkeepers were grumpy. It was finals week at the University. Not the best timing for them either.

I'm happy because all the shopping is done! The Christmas cards went out this morning. Fun gift wrapping is underway. I didn't have a color/theme in mind, but when I gathered everything together it looked perfectly coordinated. Which is funny because, I just sort of picked things up at random here and there over the past few months. (The animal tags are from Molly & Rex. 'From Me To You' tags from C.R. Gibson). I love hang tags and just discovered that Avery makes these, similar to the business cards that can be printed out at home. I was poking around the web and found these sweet designs specifically designed for them. (Thanks Jessica! She includes an excellent tutorial and a downloadable PDF too.)

Oh my goodness...day six and we are still snowed in. We actually saw a snow-plow drive by the house yesterday afternoon for the first time and jumped out of our chairs and cheered. I pulled on my boots and mittens and trudged out the door to find, with mild disappointment, that the effort hadn't done much to improve the road conditions. Just sort of cleared the top layer and left the ice sheet that was underneath it. More suitable for ice-skating than for driving.

The Mister has managed, with 4WD, to get back and forth to work though, and even picked up a few groceries, but beyond that, he hasn't ventured further than necessary. He knows when to leave "well-enough" alone.

Schools remain closed, but the delivery vans and postal trucks are chained-up and making their usual rounds, so I've been able to get your Internet orders shipped out and on their merry way thanks to their perserverance. It cannot be easy for them and we are grateful and appreciative and admire their bravery. Please note: I have not been able to get to the Post Office, which for me is about a ten mile drive into town, therefore I am sorry to say, mail-orders will be delayed. We do what we can.

It's been in the teens and twenties so far this week with very little thaw. No one seems to know when this "cold snap" will end, or if Winter is just getting started early with a bang. Freezing rain is in the forcast for this afternoon. I can only imagine what new *fun* that will bring. A horse-drawn sleigh is probably our best bet at this point. And so appropos given the season!

I'm not really complaining though, but rather reporting on our neck of the woods. As always, our thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering serious hardships due to weather and other disasters. Hugs and peace to all.

Just popping in for another update. I wanted to share this GORGEOUS view from our kitchen window. It was a nippy, teeth-chattering 12 degrees early this morning when I snapped this picture from the warmth and comfort of my house. At any rate, much too cold to go out in one's slippers and jammies, as I found out.

Almost everything (business and school) is still shut down in our little corner of the world. Even the local newspaper is being delivered electronically--by way of PDF. Oh, you gotta love technology! We've actually been house-bound since Friday morning. Because as pretty as it looks, there's a layer of slick ice underneath all this lovliness and driving a car on an ice sheet rivals Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. And not in a fun way.

Living here, in this normally temperate climate, we're not expecting or prepared for this kind of weather and stud-tires and chains are not our usual mode of winter operendi. Maybe it should be. The snow-plows have been working around-the-clock clearing the highways and haven't made it out to the local roads and rural areas yet. In the meantime, everyone's just waiting for the roads to defrost. And it doesn't look like that is going to happen any time soon as it is still below freezing with a possibility of more snow on the way. We are already dipping into our winter pantry stores, making crockpot soup and chili from dried peas and beans. We're running low on fresh produce and eggs, but can make do. I made my chocolate chip banana bread on Sunday. Very good warm out of the oven with French roast. Yum! Being snowed-in isn't all bad.

Waking up this morning, we were all stunned to find nearly six inches of snow had fallen overnight here in the valley, and was still falling, with bone-chilling winds whipping up drifts throughout the day. Enough to make some of the windows frosty around the edges, and looking out, like a holiday picture postcard. By the end of the day the snowfall here had reached nearly a foot. Quite a surprise! The weather forcasters apparently never saw it coming either because no warnings had been issued, which might explain why the snowplows weren't running and the roads were so trecherous. (A few cars passing through our neighborhood ended up in the ditch). The Mister attempted to drive to work, but gave up after a truck jack-knifed on the highway backing up traffic for miles. It really was not safe to be driving and I was relieved when he turned back around and came home. Schools and roads were closed, and the company Christmas dinner we were planning to attend tonight was also cancelled, so we are just hunkering down here with our quilts and hot cocoa. Brrr... It is supposed to drop down to 9 degrees tomorrow night with predictions of staying fridgidly cold until Monday. We are keeping our fingers crossed that our pipes don't freeze. In the meantime, this storm is said to be moving north. Hopefully, our Portland and Seattle friends will fare better. Stay safe everyone!

Hello everyone, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with all the trimmings and are enjoying lots of yummy leftovers. The crockpots are full and working overtime in my kitchen, churning out wonderful soups and stock and making the house smell delicious. I plan to make enchiladas this week too. This has become somewhat of a "tradition" around here with the leftover turkey. I am still trying to choose between the two versions; traditional chile sauce or the sour cream version. We like both equally well. Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

Well, I goofed.

I've been busy and distracted (in the very best of ways of course), and only discovered my blunder today.

That's about 15 days short of the time I announced that I was closing the shop for the holidays. Sigh. I don't want to relist everything only to close the shop in two weeks, so I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. IF there was something you were hoping to purchase or placed in your shopping cart, let me know and we can certainly work something out. Winky Handmade and PatternBee Embroidery Shop are still up and running as normal.

I love these Jas.Townsend & Son videos. Ivy and her Dad, John, make a pretty good baking team, don't they? Just adorable. I recently discovered that, authentic period costume patterns are now available on their website; I was perusing them here.

We too have been in the kitchen a lot these past few days, making soup, and bread, cookies and scones. The modern way, but just as fun. I think the "kitchen hearth" is the best place to gather together, and lately, to huddle for warmth. Especially now, as it's been so very cold here, barely 24 degrees this morning. Br-r-r-r. That traditional fire and coal oven (used in the video) looks absolutely wonderful. If I could figure out how to knock out a wall and install one, I certainly would.

Thanksgiving is coming up!

But, before we bake that pumpkin pie, we need to bake a birthday cake first. And since chocolate seems to be the order of the day, chocolate it must be.

Winky Handmade--Lovely little things to make your life sweet! We have added new adorable offerings for your perusal and consideration--take a peek.

I also want to say "thank you" to all of our wonderful customers and stitching friends near and far that have supported us this year. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without your kind words and enthusiasm, your stories and rememberances. You are all near and dear to our hearts.

The colors are really popping around here. It's all so pretty and awe inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to get anything done. I just want to stand here and stare. The Japanese Maple turns the most gorgeous color of red in the fall. It catches my eye and takes my breath away each time I pass by the window. This picture was taken last week, before a storm stripped most of the leaves away. Bah.

Also, I have to show you what the Harlequin Glory Bower is up to just now. You know, the "peanut butter" tree I am so fond of? Well. In the fall, the leaves don't do much of a color change, but the flowers. Oh my.

They are show stoppers. Just spectacular little gems.

Can you believe this color? The berries form after the white flowers fall away. They look like small cerulean-blue pearls. It's an amazing transformation.

Even the garden spiders want to get in on the act. It's all so pretty.

Sigh.

OK, time to pull myself away from the window and the great outdoors and get back to the project at hand...because we now have two new girls fresh outta the embroidery hoop:

I can't believe we are still harvesting tomatoes. Everything else in the garden is pretty much done except for a few beets, and a bit of celery and parsley. But the tomatoes are going strong. It will be fun to see how long we can keep them going inside the greenhouse.

After canning many jars of chopped tomatoes, I have been making "sun-dried" tomatoes in my trusty tried-and-true Ronco dehyrator. I've had this unit since the Mister and I were married over thirty years ago. It's awesome for drying and preserving all kinds of things. Dried tomatoes can be kept in jars for up to a year before they begin to lose nutrients and flavor, but they rarely last that long in our house. We've already been using these in our pasta dishes. If you want to learn more about drying tomatoes, this site has lots of good information.

Crockpot marinara sauce was also in the works, with thyme and rosemary picked fresh from the herb garden outside my kitchen door. So good.

There's nothing quite like homemade sauce (or soup) simmering in the kettle to turn a cold, gray day cozy. My modern-day "kettle" is a crockpot. It does all the work. I just toss ingredients in and by days end, we have a nice nourshing meal and usually leftovers to reheat for a hot lunch the next day.

Of course, cold lunch is good too.

Hot and cold--even better! (Homemade creamy mushroom soup...yum.)

I'll be back soon with an update on the stitching side of things and will show a little more progress I'm making on the Scottie quilt. Me-oh-My, is it really November already?

Up close and far away, the transformation from summer to fall is incredible here in my little corner of the world; the last hurrah before the bleakness of winter sets in. This was the amazing view from our front porch this morning just as the fog began to lift. Typical autumn mornings are cold here and often shrouded in a heavy mist that usually obscures all visibility. Eventually, as it melts away, it reveals so much color drama that one is quite willing to stand outside shivering--as I sometimes do--waiting for that golden moment when the sun breaks through and highlights the landscape. It's really quite thrilling.

I'm between projects right now. Always, with quite a few in the "progress" stage. And not just stitching. I still can't quite believe it, but our tomatoes and bell peppers (inside the greenhouse) are still going strong. A miracle! But after the last few cold nights the rest of the garden is fading fast and needs attention. These outdoor tasks do seem more urgent as the weather waits for no man. Not here in the northwest anyway, where rain is always sort of looming on the horizon. So no time to waste as it's been sunny and dry here for a few days in a row. I picked the last of the green beans, canned more tomatoes, bundled up bunches of herbs to dry, and collected a few seeds for next year's plantings. Still need to put in a few more hours out here before it's all covered up, tucked in, and put to bed.

Some of the trees are already starting to go through their color transformation. So pretty. I want to frame a bunch of leaves and herbs and hang them up somewhere. This oak leaf was one I did a few years ago. It's faded quite a bit, but still looks grand.

I've been a busy bee here, just happily rummaging through a wonderful bunch of old embroidery patterns that Adelle sent us (over a year ago); a shoebox full of them from her dear Grandmother Hobart. Each one a treasure. I'm pleased to say, some of them are now available as reprints up on the website. It's a bit of a process, one that I enjoy from start to finish, and I still have quite a few more from this lot, and another stack I found at an estate sale, that I want to restore and share. It's amazing how many transfer patterns were produced through the decades. So many patterns, so little time!

I also managed to do some fun stitching in between. Thank you for the wonderful suggestions for Scottie names! It gave me the push I needed to get going on this quilt. I'm having fun with it. One down, eight to go!

I've always loved this adorable Scottie pattern, it's a classic, but never ventured to make anything with it because the applique, with it's pieced foundation, seemed rather fussy. But recently, I saw Eleanor Burns technique and was curious to try it. Well, I must tell you that I was really pleased with how simple it was to do! It worked beautifully. And the corner turns using a plastic drinking straw and a bodkin are pure genius. Why didn't somebody tell us about this sooner? It works for turning tiny arms and legs on stuffies too. Works like a charm, in fact. (I've actually learned lots of new tricks and shortcuts from Eleanor's Quilt In A Day series).

Plus, Eleanor's enthusiasm is contagious and it took me pretty far, as you can see. I am ready to embroider the features now; whiskers, eyes, noses. Then I'll add some decorative handwork in the form of blanket-stitching around the appliques to finish the edges. This little project should keep me busy for awhile. Of course, machine applique can be done too. Here's another quick technique for machine-applique featuring chickens and roosters. Very cute!

I once saw a charming antique Scottie quilt that had names for each dog embroidered on it and I'm thinking about doing that too since they all seem to have their own personality. So I need to come up with nine doggy names. Suggestions are welcome. Nothing too long or complicated though because they have to fit in the space above each dog. I've numbered the blocks so you can refer to a specific dog if you like. "Spot" sounds like a good name for number seven. Short and sweet!

Here's an adorable embroidery motif that can be used for a variety of things. Three basic stitches are all that's needed; a basic outline, a straight stitch for the fur, and a satin stitch to fill in the eyes and nose. Originally designed as a quilt block for a child's quilt, it can be embroidered as-is, or made into an applique by adding a 1/4" seam allowance around the edges to turn-under.

Earlier this summer, we were thrifting about in a tiny coastal town off the beaten path, and I found this interesting, and very, very old, unfinished quilt top. There were a few loose blocks that were pinned to it; a long ago forgotten work in progress. For $20 bucks I couldn't resist bringing it home.

The pattern wasn't immediately familiar to me, but Ruby McKim came to mind and a quick search led me to this website hosted by "Grammy's" family and friends, and which contained all the original (remastered) patterns from the 1920's-30's, with the Farm Life Quilt pattern book among them. It is so exciting when that happens. Anyway, while on my quest for info, I actually found lots of "Farm Life" quilts; OnLine Quilter shared this one--love the yellow and the fence border.

I've finished old quilts in the past, but am not really moved to finish this one. It's a bit too rough around the edges and the cotton cloth is aged and fragile, but I am happy to have it in my collection and will enjoy it "as is".

I think this horse is my favorite.

I'm making crockpot marinara sauce today with tomatoes and basil from the garden. The kitchen smells so good. We have plenty of pickles, green beans, and jam on the pantry shelves now. Salsa is next I think. I've been watching online videos and researching recipes for canning some.

And at the same time I'm eyeing my stash and thinking up lots of things I can do with it.

Much of it has gone into my growing hexie "patch" though. Only time will tell what this will become. Still thinking . . .

Little Miss African Violet decided to make an appearance. It is a rather rare event when she does so. She takes her time and we wait ever so patiently for her. Maybe she wanted to see what all the commotion was about.

Because, when last I wrote, I was calmly anticipating an upcoming shower and saying, "a summer rain is the very best kind of rain" (and it usually is), but little did I know that we would have a deluge of nearly three inches of rain in less than four hours, topping all previous records, with thunder that shook the house, rattled the windows in their frames and made our teeth chatter.

And that lightening strikes would split trees and sizzle electrical panels cutting power to thousands of people in the surrounding areas. Or that storm drains would overflow and streets would flood, that sewage would spill into creeks and rivers causing contamination warnings. Oh dear.

I was not expecting that.

In fact, we were just carrying on as usual here, not even realizing how bad things were getting and about to drive up to the barn for Ginger's riding lesson, when all of a sudden a tremendous crack exploded in the sky, forcing us to stop in our tracks and rethink that plan.

Once I'd gathered my wits about me and unpried both hands (which were clinging for dear life to the wooden stairposts), I went to check on the local 'emergency broadcast warning system' for storm updates. Hmmm. Didn't seem to be any, so we climbed into the car and began driving up the narrow, twisting well-worn mountain road; rain beating down, windshield wipers slapping, lightening flashes and rumbles of thunder in the distance.

By the time we arrived at the barn though, the horses were freaked out and restless and in no mood for fun and games. Who could blame them? Animals know. We decided to follow their lead, and went back to the safety of our home. And not a moment too soon.

The sky went dark and started popping and cracking like the fourth of July. Barrels of rain poured down, our "creek" went from zero to warp speed in seconds as water cascaded down the road like white water rapids (our house is at the low end of the hill). Neighbors got out their sandbags. The roar of rain on the roof was all we could hear. Tremendous rain. The lights kept flickering on and off. Forunately, we never lost power, but some did. The girls and I huddled in the library with our books, but could only stare out the windows in wonder. And then it was over as quickly as it had begun. That thunderous brute of a storm lumbered east, leaving behind it a steady rain that fell til the next morning.

Later, we read in the paper, that a dramatic flash of lightening hit the old Call-A-Ride antenna on top of the Senior Center, "peeling the end of it like a banana" (a quote from the park operations supervisor). Apparently bolts of lightening "danced" around a small Community Library, rattling employees and patrons. Someone reported seeing a fireball come down in the parking lot. Neighboring towns had to evacuate schools and businesses due to flooding and power loss; lightening strikes set off alarm systems in hotels. And on and on it went.

I will never underestimate a summer storm again!

All that happened last Thursday. Today the sky is clear, the sun is shining and it's hot. Maybe climbing into the 90 degree range, more of the same tomorrow, and then a cooling down. That's what the forcaster says anyway. We shall see.

This pattern makes a fantastic MAN-quilt. Especially when done in earthy muted tones, and plaids and stripes like this. Perhaps made from his old shirts if you have them. Mine is made from cotton scraps and good quality unbleached muslin. It's lined with 60" wide heavy cotton flannel so it lies flatter, more like a blanket than a light-weight quilt.

The backing is also unbleached muslin, cut a little larger than the quilt top and turned over to form a self-edging. It looks really nice if you mitre the corners with a bit of blind stitching inside the folds.

"Joseph's Necktie" (the original name) is easy piecework and goes together quickly; not to be confused with "Bow-Tie" which requires a square in the middle--and can be a bit fussy to sew.

Hi All! We're back from our road-trip to south-eastern Washington (to attend a wedding). It feels good to be home again and back into a routine. In general, I've been getting caught up on things around the house, restocking the pantry, tackling the mail--virtual and otherwise, updating the website (we must not forget the new bonus transfer for September), and trying to get a handle on the garden, which seems to have flourished with abandon during our absence. I actually had to stop unpacking and make pickles right there on the spot!

It's been warm and dry and rain showers are in the forecast again. Which are most welcome, as summer rain is the very best kind of rain, I think. Autumn certainly seems to be nipping at the heels of summer. The leaves are already drying out and drifting on the wind. Soon the transformation of the landscape will begin. Like a painting, in progress, as the colors blend and change. It's my favorite time of year. I'm SO excited, aren't you?

The month of August sort of came and went in a flurry of activity around here, as good-weather months usually do. There were places to go, things to be done, people to see.

I have been admiring and gathering up some of the flower motifs from the old WorkBasket magazines. This page features the Aster; from Volume 20 - Number 12, published in September 1955. It seemed a fitting subject for today (and the season), since I am short on sewing projects to share just now. These are not hugely inspiring, but they are fun to look at. Hopefully I will be able to pick up my needle again soon.

Here's a summary of page 59, regarding the aster:

"In late summer and early fall the roadsides and meadows and edges of brooks are turned to blue and purple by the abundant native aster. In our gardens the same plant, in its cultivated forms, provides a bright display of pinks, blues, white and crimson. In any of these colors, this cluster of asters will be a colorful part of our flower design series. They may be embroidered, appliqued, hand painted, worked in needlepoint, or traced on paper for children to color. Quilt, bed spread, luncheon cloth motif, head scarf decoration, or needlepoint picture are some of the possible uses.

For a quilt, we suggest working design on 8 by 9 inch white blocks, alternating them in the quilt with white or pastel blocks of the same size. Depending on size of finished quilt, you will probably need three or four blocks of each flower.

In embroidering, the petals may be made with open lazy daisy stitches, with the line down the center of petals just one long stitch. French knots will make the centers. Leaves and stems may be worked in outline stitch. For the ambitious, satin stitch is a possible way of working the entire picture, and the effect would be striking.

To applique, it would be best to cut the outline of each blossom, rather than attempt to separate the petals. Details of petals may then be embroidered on, and the centers also. Use pink, blue, white, lavender or crimson for the flowers, with yellow centers. Make leaves a strong green."

The aster is also the birth-flower for September. Did you know there are over 250 varieties of Aster? Blue ones appear around the yard this time of year. They rise up from the ground confident, no worries at all, as the deer seem to avoid it. And that makes me love it all the more.

Because, this is often the scene out my backdoor, where nothing is safe! (These two scallywags were waiting here for us when we got home.)

You can click on the aster pic to save it as a file or print it out if you want. I think it comes up rather large (full size) so you might want to preview it first to make any adjustments, or take it into photoshop to play with. I'll try and share more patterns in future posts; find them under the 'free patterns' subject category.

But the plight and decline of the honeybee population is a troubling one. It makes me happy to know that our garden is, in some small measure, providing a safe haven of organic (pesticide free) plant life, that supports the health of bees in our area. Flowering trees (like the 'glory bower' above) is buzzing with bees this month. It's a late bloomer and nice for keeping bees around long after the flowers have faded. And not only bees, but butterflies and hummingbirds also feed from it.

Then there's the herb garden. Herbs are wonderful for attracting bees. They need nothing in the way of pest control or fertilizers and many are perennial (in most climates), and just keep on giving year after year without fuss. Another benefit of course, is that the wild rabbits and deer have little interest in herbs; I use a lot of them to fill in the landscape around here (in addition to cooking with them). A couple of years ago, we removed two thirds of the front lawn and replanted a portion of it with herbs along the road. Once established, herbs require little maintenance and are drought tolerant.

Here's how it looks right now. These varieties of thyme and lavender make lovely ground covers and help keep weeds in check. But mostly, planting herbs is a nice way to spread a little "bee love" around.

Some common herbs bees like:

Lavender & Russian Sage--these flowers have staying power, the bees visit them all through the seasons.

Thyme--I plant a lot of this everywhere, it's aromatic and useful in the kitchen, as well as beautiful and long-flowering. There are many varieties and color variations.

Mint, Catnip, Oregano, Lemon Balm--bees love the flowers of all varieties; these can spread though so plant in pots, or in a raised beds if you are concerned about a particular plant invading your flower beds. Or you may be doing this.

Beekeepers and bee associations across the country are joining together to bring awareness of the bee industry with "National Honeybee Day", August 17, 2013. This event was started in 2009 by a small group of grassroots beekeepers who petitioned for and obtained a formal proclamation by the USDA honoring honey bees and beekeeping.

If you're wondering what all the fuss over bees is about, read the alarming details here, and take a look at the Vanishing of the Bees documentary. If beekeeping isn't for you, check out all these other ways you can help. (For the record I am not receiving any monetization to endorse anyone. Just passing on the info which I think is worth a look.)

I thought this was the bees knees. It made me SMILE. Check out the fancy footwork. Enjoy!

HoneyLove is a non-profit conservation organization on a mission to protect and educate and inspire new urban bee keepers.

And what would this blog BEE without a sweet old pattern to share?

I've uploaded this to Flickr. Flickr has made lots of changes recently and the image links are imbedded now, so this may be tricky for some. I'll try and explain. If someone knows a simple way, please tell us!

OK. There are a couple of ways to do it. Click on the image to open it in flickr and click on that image; choose VIEW ALL SIZES > size MEDIUM 800. Choose 'Download the Medium 800 size of this photo' and select OPEN in the pop-up box. This will open a print window that allows you to print out the pattern. If you are unable to adjust the size you want--choose 'SAVE AS' (instead of OPEN), and save it to a file that you can work with, like photoshop for example.

If this is all too confusing, just do what I do; click on everything until you find something that works!

It's that time again, when the garden kicks into high gear and sends forth her bounty. I'm making small batches of pickles in very large jars, which really makes the most sense, all things considered. And, I am thinking we must have a big refridgerator "pickle barrel" again this year. It's one of the easiest ways I know of to make pickles.

Better get on with it then! Tying on my apron now and stepping back into the kitchen.

For my pickle recipes, relish, pickle barrel, and more pickle talk, use the search box (in the side bar) to find them. Just type in pickle, and they should come up.

It's warm, but the sky is rapidly clouding up and turning dark. Getting ready for a summer shower with "severe thunderstorms", as warnings come in via the emergency alert system. Time to duck inside and take cover. Looking out the kitchen window, trying to keep an eye on the sky, I notice our glorious 'Glory Bower' has burst into bloom and thought some of you might like to see it. The fragrance of the flowers is sweet and drifts in through the windows and open backdoor. The perfume, I think, is a cross between petunias and gardenias although maybe a bit more subtle. The leaves however, when crushed, have a strong scent of peanut butter. Hence the nick-name "peanut butter tree." Perhaps you've known it by that name. It's the first thing I introduce people to when they enter the garden for a tour. Kids seem to especially enjoy this funny quirk of nature.

The flowers are late bloomers, small and dainty and seem to hang on until the very end of the season. The bees and butterflies are busy fussing over the tiny pink and white petals, fluttering and buzzing everywhere on the breeze around it. Fortunately, the deer don't bother it at all, except maybe to nap in the shady shelter it provides or to drink from the birdbath it towers over. Always a funny sight to see.

This tree has really grown since this post written in 2006 when I still had the cages around everything. (Click on those pictures to enlarge them.) And here it is in 2009. It seems to have finally reached it's full potential. I love the shape, it's like a gigantic bridal bouquet.

Elsewhere in the garden we have more lovliness.

And here's the greenhouse the Mister built. I love it! It's the perfect size. He actually began working on it in the garage over the winter and had most of the frame-work finished by spring. Then it was all carried out in sections and the girls helped him put it together. (I just stood around and cheered and clapped and hugged him.) The greenhouse, and the rest of the garden, lawns and trees are all on auto-drip irrigation (another project he has worked on and added to over the years), so everything pretty much takes care of itself where watering is concerned. He thinks of everything!

Here's the Mister's lunch salad he picked fresh from the garden just minutes ago. Roasted beets are one of his simple pleasures. Beets are easy to grow, and Grace plants a steady crop especially for her Dad. Once a week, he bakes a few drizzled with olive oil and and then stores them in the fridge to add to his salads. I never used to think I liked beets until I tried them this way. They are sweet and delicious and full of healthful benefits. But you knew that.

And that is what is happening in my garden right now. Pickles are next! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I'm going to sit in my cozy chair and storm-watch while I stitch up more hexies and watch Ziegfeld Girl playing on TCM.

Back IN, but not entirely finished with my sewing room make-over. It seems to be taking longer than I had imagined it would. I am positive summer has something to do with this. I keep getting side-tracked by all the season's enchantments and fascinating charms.

Well, it cannot be helped.

But hey, I've managed to get my table-skirt all stitched up and I'm quite happy to have gotten this far!

Table Skirt: I used an old top sheet, full-size, cut in half lengthwise. It took all of it (about six yards) to traverse the 58" wide opening. I like a nice full skirt you see. A simple casing sewn at the top was sufficient for gathering it onto a heavy-duty spring rod. Anything less sturdy will eventually sag and the skirt will droop pitifully and look quite sad. Can't have that.

To hide the rod, I used a left-over piece of molding painted to match. It makes a nice decorative edge too, creating a cornice effect. Very tidy.

Hidden Storage: And look, speaking of tidy, I'm already stashing things under it! I love these rolling laundry sorters, it's amazing how much stuff they can hold. This is where I hide all my rolls of batting, bags of stuffing and fabric scraps. One compartment has a whole lamb's fleece in it; a carding project for winter. Underneath here are two of these laundry sorters, plus another rolling cart to store away ongoing projects. Most handy. It's easy to pull things out when I'm ready to pick up work on them again.

Quilt & Craft Fabric Storage: On the right, I'm still using the same storage system for my craft and quilt fabrics. These units stack and have lots of different sized drawers for every kind of thing. The smaller ones at the top are ideal for rick-rack, binding, ribbons, trim, fat quarters, jelly-rolls and pre-cut strips; the larger drawers hold flat-folds sorted by color or type. I like being able to see what I need at a glance. I admit, they are not very attractive, but they work so well that I really can't fault them. They do the job.

More Storage: This wonderful little cubby is the only new piece of furniture in the room. It stores all our dress-making fabrics, felt, fibers and yarn. The removable bins hold a LOT. In fact, I am really quite amazed at just how many cloth bundles will fit inside this 36" x 36" x 12" space. And so neatly and discreetly at that. I only wish the bins came in softer colors. Like white, pale pink, and gray. To match my table skirt, of course.

Cutting Table: The "cutting table" sits on top of the cubby and has an additional support frame underneath attached to the walls. It's made from a standard size 36" core door. I down-sized from a 48" closet door, which was too deep, wasted space, and stuck out too far in the room. This size fits the dimensions of the cubby, and a 36" wide cutting mat fits perfectly on top.

Core doors are generally in-square and smooth, not too heavy, and not too expensive. This one had a boo-boo on one side, so I only paid $10 for it--the dent is hidden on the underside. The top and sides were painted with a couple coats of acrylic based semi-gloss with a roller, so it wasn't difficult. If the door has a circle cut-out (for a door knob), all the better! It can be fitted with a plastic thingy to cover the rough edges, and used to feed electrical cords through at the back of the wall.

The cubby was set back ten inches, so we can work on either side of the work table and still get to the bins easily, which can be removed and placed on the table top to rummage through.

Table Top Ironing Board: There was a bit of room at the far end of the cutting table, so I made a mini ironing surface by covering a board (25" x 20" x 1/2") with layers of thick cotton batting and striped pillow ticking. INSUL-BRITE could also be used as the padding and is heat-proof. For bigger jobs there's room for the stand-up ironing-board against the far wall.

Sewing Center: Still have the two IKEA desks set up as sewing tables backed up to each other creating a central work area. New lighting eliminated the need for that big lamp that used to tower over us. There's a gap between the two tables that will eventually have a customized magazine/book rack over it, compliments of The Mister, who is handy that way. (He's currently putting the finishing touches on the greenhouse he built this spring. I'll have to show you that in another segment. It's quite charming and already full of ripe tomatoes, peppers, and basil. I'm hugging his neck daily for this.)

Pattern Storage: This old dresser got a new coat of paint along with the rest of the furniture. This dresser has been in our family since 1977. I remember it clearly because I bought it, unfinished, from a shop called, Furniture in the Nude, shortly after my son was born. I stained it dark brown. It was the 70's afterall, remember? Then, in the 80's it was painted Country Blue. In the 90's, having moved from California to Oregon, it was painted Forest Green. This was the decade that the last two babies were young, and I painted little storybook figures on the drawers to amuse them.

Eventually, some years later, the dresser was replaced by nicer bedroom furniture, and I reclaimed it for my sewing patterns. The Mister put little dividers in each drawer; turned out it was the perfect size for patterns, and so very handy. I've used it ever since.

Now, up until a month ago, the dresser was still green with the painted figures on it. As I was preparing to paint it white, I heard:

Grace: "You can't paint that!"

Me: "What? This old thing?"

Grace: "Some of my childhood memories are on there."

Me: "I know. Happy memories. Let's make new ones!"

Grace: "How can you paint over your artwork, mom?"

Me: "These silly things?"

Grace: "They're sweet".

Me: "OK. Get the camera, we'll photograph them and put them in a memory book."

Grace: <sniff>

Me: <sob>

So, we got through the emotional painting of the little dresser. And now we've moved on, all happy memories in tact and new ones in the making. It's hard to let loose of the past sometimes. (Green dresser before makeover can be seen in the last photo of this post.)

The shelves are filling up. I'm trying to keep to the things I need and actually use and not get too crazy with the cute clutter and the knick-knacks. A few make me happy though. Like this Little Miss (above).

And maybe a few of her friends. My red and white biscuit-tin collection started when I was 13, a few look cute displayed here too. Sheesh. I'm breaking my own rules already!

On the other side of the window another matching book case with empty shelves to fill and more biscuit tins. Just a few.

And quilts! I need to find a better way to store my quilts. The piles are growing. I keep digging and finding more. I'm on the lookout for a free-standing closet to store them in, preferably with glass doors or chicken wire, so I can see them.

The sewing room walls are still bare. Maybe I will hang a few quilts up too. I must first get over my fear of putting holes in freshly painted walls. Oh, how I hate to do it. That first hole is always the hardest.

I really do love how it all turned out. The neutral background is a perfect backdrop for all the colorful accessories and fabrics and gives the room an airy, yet cozy feeling. Comfortable. I've still got a little more to do in here. Will update again down the road when there's something new to share. (Click on this pix to see it BIG).

Well, that concludes the sewing room tour for today. Hope you enjoyed it and picked up some good ideas. If you have any questions, tips or additional storage ideas, please share them in the comment section of this post with a link to your pictures if you have some, so we may drop by for a virtual visit.

Our summer garden is blossoming in steady waves of color. The weather's been warm and mild, although a rain storm is moving across the sky now. It's hard to stay focused on any kind of work when all this lovliness is gently bobbing and waving just outside the backdoor.

Even harder to ignore all the u-pick signs going up. Blueberries, in particular just now. And the resulting muffins that someone just pulled out of the oven. Not to mention the jam and pickles that still needs to be made.

But then I see this, and am reminded that it all needs to go somewhere. Today I am sewing new curtains so I can hide some of it under the cutting table! I dare say, I am making progress one way or another.

Shop News: The new bonus transfers for August are up on the PatternBee website today and they are really adorable. I've also been busy adding more older children's patterns to my Vintage Stitch Shop (etsy) as the bonus designs lend themselves so well to them. But the best part is, I'm having a Summer Sale and everything is 25% off. (Blog readers enter coupon code: TURKEYFEATHERS30 to receive a 30% discount!) There are also books, magazines, decorator fabrics, and oil cloth--great for covering picnic tables and chair seats. I hope you will check it out.

The sewing studio is coming together. The paint is dry and the furniture is being moved back in. I admit there's been a teensy bit of procrastination during this process as I was rather enjoying the 'blank slate' look a little too much. After all, an empty room is full of dreamy possibilities! It makes my knees weak and my mind wanders. During this think-time though, a few changes were made and I'm quite happy with the results. I'll do a more in-depth show-and-tell when everything is finally done. I know. I said that a few years ago--but I really mean it this time!

Now I am endeavoring to find homes for all the bits and bobs, buttons and bobbins, and the rest of my kit and caboodle. This is currently scattered about the house and filling a downstairs bath tub. Which is mildly embaressing, but I am thoroughly purging every box, bin and bag and reorganizing things for maximum efficiency. Maximum efficiency rocks in my world. It saves time searching and sometimes saves my sanity. I like knowing where things are; having a place for everything and everything in it's place. That sort of thing. I'm funny that way.

Oh, that reminds me of a cool discovery I made while wandering around the bath section at Target the other day. Check out this handy table-top "scissor stand". I love it. It's metal and weighted on the bottom with a rubber grip so it's not tipsy. I suppose one could use it for pens and pencils too, or even toothbrushes--but only if one had no imagination.

I made a new valance cut from old curtains in the spirit of "Use What You Have" and in keeping my cost factor in check, for it took no less than five panels. Both windows are side-by-side and enormous. The cove ceiling is also high making the overall scale of the room large, so I kept the same 5-inch rod with an 18-inch drop. The old valance was cute, but a bit heavy and dark. This one, I know, is not terribly exciting in contrast, but I wanted the background of the room neutral and this suits the purpose of hiding mini-blinds when they're drawn up and helps to soften hard edges at the same time. The fabric is tufted cotton, so it does have that small detail of textural interest anyway. It works well enough.

So that's it for today. All is well and good. I'm motivated and working on getting everything done. But, inevitably life gets busy and pulls me in a dozen differnet directions. A family reunion out of town. Trips to the coast. Last week it was horse camp. Fun for sure, but I lose my momentum. And then I looked out the kitchen window this morning and saw all this lovliness.

A reminder that: summer is here!

And I'm off and running again. No deadlines on the room. It will get done when it gets done I guess. Ta Ta for now....

True Blue is finished (yay!) and I must say, I'm kind of sad because I really enjoyed working on this quilt. It being my constant evening companion, as I nestled underneath it during the cool spring months; although hexie mania is filling the gap now. This is probably the most hand-quilting I've ever done on a quilt. Once my needle found its rhythm it traveled swiftly along ditches, pirouetted around corners, and dashed down straight-aways leaving happy trails in its wake.

I really like the Warm & White cotton batting. A lot, in fact. It quilts like a dream and makes for a nice light-weight old-fashioned looking quilt. Very flat, yet substantial.

The pink binding was sort of a snap decision. Having lots of pink binding on hand nudged me in that direction anyway. I always try and use what I have whenever possible. And the pink works well to soften the overall effect, I think.

OK. Quilt tucked under arm and ready for a lazy picnic by the lake.

Really ready. But first things first. The sewing room make-over is underway! New carpet is in. I really like the color--it's kind of a dark pewter with a touch of taupe. Hard to describe. The color description called it "moon stone"; just as ambiguious. Painting the walls next. I've decided on a neutral. After looking at over hundred shades of white (who knew there were sooo many!), I settled on French Canvas. It's soft and easy on the eyes and looks great with the floor color.

Being out of my HUB, with nothing in it's rightful place makes me all twitchy. I had to set up a sewing corner in another room. Not doing much but mending, but I like knowing it's there if I need it. And I do find it funny that it's taking four rooms, including a bathroom, to temporarily house all the stuff that came out of just one room. It's crazy. All this stitching stuff of mine.

See what I mean? Hoping to get everything back where it belongs very, very soon.

And I'm in a mad dash to finish because shortly, this entire room will need to be cleared out to make way for a long overdue make-over. I've been putting it off for years now, not wanting to uproot and unplug the HUB of my exsistence. I know fellow stitchers can relate.

But the time has come at long last.

Time to say, fare-thee-well to the last of the 'Desert Rose' colored carpeting, so popular decades ago. It's seen better days. In fact, I thought I'd seen the last of it when we moved from our house in California in 1994 (where it had been installed), only to see it again here, wall-to-wall, up stairs, down hallways and in every room. I have nothing against pink in my home environment; just like it better as an essay. Not the whole story.

So, yes. There is much to do! And it occurs to me that I'll need to minimize my regular schedule to concentrate on finishing this project ASAP. That means our lovely little shops, PatternBee, Vintage Stitch Shop, and Winky (the girls shop), will all be closed after July 5th.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have any items in your shopping cart and/or intend to purchase something within this time frame, please do so now, so that we can accomodate your needs. Shops will re-open after the 15th.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. If you should have any questions or concerns about your order, please don't hesitate to contact me, I'll be able to access email on my portable laptop to provide any assistance you may need.

Will TRY and get back here to update our progress if possible. And maybe share some photos of my finished 'True Blue' summer quilt.

More lovely pix from the peony and iris farm last month. So breathtakingly pretty; caught in one short-lived shining moment of time. All over now. Fortunately I took lots of pictures to re-visit this pink paradise for inspiration. I love watching honey bees, they are such industrious little fuzzy buzzy things. We had a good nest of them rooted deep in the side of our barn when I was growing up. My dad would remove a plank or two from time to time and Oh, the honey we would raid from it! Each spring a queen bee would emerge and all havoc would break loose and everyone would be running for cover to avoid the swarms. But other than that scary bit, it was awesome. Especially those jars of raw honeycomb on the cellar shelves. Sweet memories.

Speaking of busy bees. My youngest daughter has caught the "honeycomb" bug. It was bound to happen. She stitched up one patch, and that led to another. And another. And before I knew it she'd made herself a snazzy little camera bag. Woot!

She followed the basic instructions from mama's book, using a 16" x 6" section of machine-quilted patchwork for the foundation that was hand-stitched together with one-inch hexagons. Stitching hexagons is easy and fun--and apparently addicting. In a good way, of course! There are various methods and lots of good tutorials on the Internet to guide you. Search: 'English paper piecing' to find a method that suits you.

Here's the basic foundation ready to be folded and bound. The bias binding was sewn in two pieces: across one end, and then down the sides and top flap. This was a slight modification (due to bulk) from the original directions. An inch of overhang on binding ends allows them to be tucked in and hand-stitched to enclose raw edges. The original camera tote (shown here) was made from pre-quilted cotton and was bound all the way around.

Mostly it's pretty much the same bag, this time with a longer strap (for a taller young lady), and with the "battery pocket" placed on the inside so as not to cover up the pretty patchwork. I think it turned out darling. So clever that girl of mine.

Once again, we have more lovely hand stitching with cute hexies and my flower garden as inspiration. What could be sweeter? Love them both!

This time around, I ordered a big bag of 1-inch die-cut templates (found here), and made my own freezer paper patterns (with an added 1/4-inch seam allowance), to use as pattern guides for cutting around. I'm always thinking up ways to "cut corners" and whittle down tedious tasks, and this handy method makes cutting out hexies quick and easy! No pinning and no tracing required.

Sometimes I use fabric scraps to be thrifty and to get the variety of colors and patterns I want, and the smaller size of hexagon utilizes even the smallest of "crumbs". Always satisfying to use what you have. Waste not, want not, and all that. But when I need to cut more than a few, I go to my yardage.

For yardage, I use my rotary to cut strips. Or dip into my JellyRoll stash (above), saving myself another step! I knew you would like that too. I've found that the one-inch hexagon (with seam allowance) fits nicely within a 2-1/2" strip. (Naturally, for larger hexagons, you just cut your strips wider to accomodate a larger template.)

I like to layer four to six strips on top of each other for *maximum efficiency*. Any more than that gets tricky to cut. Then I iron a freezer-paper template on to the top strip and cut along one side to create "square bundles" with the template in the middle. Holding all layers securely (between thumb and fingers), I can easily cut around the sides of the template. Good sharp scissors are helpful, but accuracy is not a huge concern. All that really matters is that you have enough seam allowance to fold over the hexagon pattern to tack down around it.

All this cutting goes super quick because two of the sides are along the edge of the strip, so it's just a matter of trimming off the remaining four corners. Snip, snip, snip, snip. Done! I'm able to cut out short stacks in no time. I use the same freezer paper patterns over and over again too, so I only need a few of them.

Once the hexies have been basted around the pre-cut paper pieces, I store them in an embroidery floss organizer until I'm ready to stitch them together. They fit perfectly along with my pincushion, thread and thimble. Totally portable. Love that! And so pretty to look at. Reminds me of a watercolor paint box. Sooo many gorgeous colors.

Like a wonderful flower garden ripe for picking. Now I need to get started on a few projects using these darling little "flowers". I have a growing stack just sitting here waiting to be used in some creative way.

That old saying, "time flies when you're having fun" certainly applies when I think about my blogging journey. I find it sort of amazing, and a bit hard to believe really, that I've been publishing turkey feathers since June of 2005. I've just come full circle with an eight-year anniversary and this post, number 844. That averages out to about one hundred posts per year. Or two posts per week. I think the numbers were much higher at the start. I seem to have hit my stride since then and upload less often now. Of course, that number is not entirely accurate as I've deleted dozens of posts over the years as content no longer seemed relevant. Editing is good and necessary sometimes. I do not believe a blog is sacred. However, I do back it up regularly...just in case. (smile)

Throughout the week I've been working on these photo collages. I went back into my archives and tried to select a few highlights to represent each year.

My first blog post was on making jam. Mostly because June kicks off jam season in my kitchen and it seemed like the most logical place to start: in the moment, picking berries, stirring the pot, filling jars and lining our pantry shelves with sweet homemade goodness. That and other simple pleasures seemed to set a course for my blog. And here we are today, still making jam, and still celebrating home, craft and everyday adventures. (I chose the name 'turkey feathers' out of the blue. No rhyme or reason).

I truly hope that as you visit with me here, you'll enjoy the scenery as you pass through. Discover things along the way. Find small treasures to tuck into your pocket. And take time to stop and smell the flowers.

True Blue is heading into the homestretch. Yesterday the remaining basting pins were removed and that means I am heading for the border. Three straight rows of stitching should do it. And at this point, I'm ready for straight rows of stitching. And a new shiny straight needle.

In the meantime, something new flew up onto the design wall. I'm using up scraps I have on hand and before I knew it I had the making of a new quilt. I selected colors that were a bit reminiscent of an old rose garden I strolled through recently. Not so much a literal translation, but rather a focus on the earthy parts, like moss and bark, shady nooks, sunny spots, iron and wood structures, soil and sky, water and stone. Like this . . .

Well, that's the path I started down. But the addition of plaid tends to point toward fall. And once I introduced the red apple print (because it needed a cornerstone accent), it was all over. The whole thing just zoomed right past summer and went straight into autumn. Like this. . .

It happens. I'm not entirely disappointed with it though. I'm just not mentally ready to stitch up "Autumn" before summer has arrived. So I'll be putting this away for awhile and might make another attempt at the old rose garden theme after I finish other projects I've started. Yes, there are others poking out of baskets. Along with more hexies. Can't stop. They're like candy.

This lovely old thing was a quilt rescue. I picked it up at a flea market, eons ago, and paid practically nothing for it, because at the time it was just a big wadded-up mess. Someone had apparently thrown it into a washing machine and the cotton batting shrunk, clumping into large balls between the ties, since it had not been quilted down. So sad and pitiful it was. Obviously just a scrap quilt, but I loved the colors, the feedsack prints, the simple design. So I paid the dealer five bucks and brought it home to deconstruct. Once I got the quilt top removed, gently cleaned and repaired, it was given fresh batting and backed with plain muslin. I hand-quilted simple lines in the border strips and in the ditch. I remember it was an absolute dream to quilt, with the fabrics being so time-worn and buttery soft that my needle just glided through them. I imagined the unknown quilt-maker, happy to know that her humble efforts had been preserved.

We've treated this quilt gently and its held up amazingly well over time, though after years of use I've had to retire it because the fabrics are getting fragile. Some of the patches have disintegrated. Which all too often happens. That being the case, I decided it was time to fashion a new one.

So, out came the jelly roll scraps and I got stitching.

Everything came together very quickly. I sewed four 18" strips (half a jelly-roll length) together, and then cut them into 6" sections which were randomly placed so that no two of the same print would be next to each other.

I must admit, I was tempted to use purple strips between the bars. But I had a lot of scraps I needed to use up that coordinated much better so used them instead. One of these days though, I WILL do a purple version like the original. Have to. It's just SO good.

After I got the top pieced, I machine quilted the whole thing, in the same way as before.

And ya know... I think it turned out pretty awesome. Even without that beloved purple.

I've been taking a little time out to smell the flowers, both figuratively and literally. The weather here, has been alternately rainy and sunny, making for the most amazing garden displays ever, and it's been nice to get out and experience a little flora and fauna in the surrounding woods and farms, not to mention my own backyard, in between my stitching projects these past few weeks. And, I must say, all that fresh air and awesomeness seems to have lead to a mighty whirl of activity in my sewing studio!

I can hardly believe this, but since the last blog post, I started and finished a 52 x 70-inch quilt, have another quilt-top nearly done (up on the design wall now), and another quilt in the making on the table. The Churn Dash is also coming along, lots and lots of hand-quilting on that one, but getting closer to the finish line stitch by stitch.

In other words, lots of quilts in progress over here!

What's great is, I'm using up my scraps and odds and ends. It feels so satisfying somehow to create something new out of something "old". Well, not all the fabric is old/vintage, but you know what I mean. Old is relative, and sometimes means, last season's run. Occasionally, I have to supplement with a newer fabric, but mostly I'm just using what I have and making it work. I rather enjoy the creative challenge of that because the results are often unexpected surprises. Mostly in a good way. Sometimes not. And then I just add it as a learning experience and move on, so it's all good in the end.

I'll try and get some pictures of all this productivity. Will slip in a few quilt pix, along with my summer garden odyssey I am about to embark on here. Which, for me, is where the inspiration ultimately comes from. Hope you are all taking a little time-out for yourselves too. If that's not possible, join me here on the blog for FREE mini "garden tours" daily.

All aboard!

Updated to add: The rose at the top of the post is called, 'Hot Cocoa' and is a relatively new cultivated floribunda which is cold hardy. Normally, the color is a bit darker, more dusky--a smoky chocolate brown with hints of purple and russet. The actual color is hard to capture with a camera. It is sweetly fragrant, and aside from the gorgeous color, I love the scallopped petals. Some are quite frilly. Looking like a cross between a rose and a peony. Lovely!

If you guessed CHURN DASH . . . you were correct! Actually, most of the names on the list also refer to the same block, except for a few that just look similar, like Shoo Fly. Churn Dash is one of the old tried-and-true blocks much admired for its simplicity. This was easy to piece together and I've already started hand-quilting on it. It's lined with Warm & White, the bleached version of Warm & Natural (a wonderfully soft cotton batting), which allows the white background to remain bright and crisp. "True Blue" is my evening quilting project; by day I'm piecing more tops, mostly from "scraps" in an effort to reduce my stash a bit. To make room for NEW stuff, of course. You know, the stitcher's lament . . .

So much fabric...so little time.

Thank goodness there are many hands stitching away and making lots and lots of beautiful quilts for us to behold and enjoy and dream about.

This was a few weeks ago, at a fantastic quilt show presented by the 'Sisters in Stitches' quilt group in Eugene, called "A Stitch Back in Time". It was exciting and inspiring seeing so many quilts on display; over two hundred actually. Which was impressive in itself. Most of them made in this decade, but also some brought over on the Oregon Trail. Pictures do not do justice to how awesome these quilts were.

Row upon row of color and pattern and inspiration. Here's a mini tour. . .

Recognize this block? We've come full circle! It's another Churn Dash block, used in a "1930's Reproduction Quilt" which looks completely different set on the diagonal and framed. The border detail all along the edge is quite charming.

Making lots of progress on PINK Honeycomb Quilt, the third in a series of "hexagon quilt mania". I really can't believe how fast this one came together. My needle has been flying. These BIG flowers remind me of those decals from the 1960's, remember those? People would stick them on their cars and on walls and windows. This quilt definitely has that same happy vibe going on. It brings smiles to faces.

I've been making binding too and it's going to be awesome. This is what happens when you can't make up your mind which color or fabric to use for a binding. You choose them ALL! I love sewing on binding as much as I love hand-sewing hexagons together. It's the same sort of lovely, tidy stitching.

Ginger has been enjoying the daily process of watching this quilt, her quilt, grow and come to life and that has kept the wind in my sails. Yesterday, we were out in the garden and noticed something. The colors in her flower barrel this year. All random choices, brought home by others. And yet, remarkably familiar: Pink and Yellow!

Update:: A few people asked about the size of the template I used, so here's how I measured it. The illustration is not "actual size", rather representative.

Hi everybody. Thanks for the quilt love for Honeycomb #2! It is now in the arms of its owner (Miss Grace) and receiving lots of hugs and inducing sweet dreams. . . .

HCQ #3 (in pink) is still in progress and coming along nicely. I can't wait to show you! But today, I've got another quilt for our "show and tell". This flannel four-patch went together pretty fast! Good thing too, because darling granddaughter's birthday is this week and it was a race to the finish line. Ginger helped me chain-piece the units together once we got the layout down and that helped speed things along. She's a happy stitcher behind the new "Magnolia" Janome and loves any excuse to use it.

It's all good. She's picking up speed and learning fast. Here's a little top she finished yesterday for her niece. Isn't this the sweetest? She made a pair of flannel PJ pants to go with it--the alphabet letters look much better on these don't ya think?

Anyway, back to the cuddle quilt. Some more pictures.

Here's a peek at the underside; once covered, never to be seen again. Since flannel is heavier than quilter's cotton, the seams were pressed open to reduce bulk at the intersections.

After the top was done, an eyelot ruffle was added around the edge before sewing the layers together pillow-style. I have miles of this lace on hand (bought in bulk from a store that was going out of business), so it finds its way into a lot of things and was exactly what this little quilt needed.

For the ties, I used some wonderful old embroidery cotton (from France) that I found at a thrift shop, and tied in where the blocks intersect. This is easy to do; if you need additonal info--tutorials here and here may be helpful.

The result is more like a comforter. All ready for a cuddle.

And of course, we must have a label.

This idea was wonderfully reinforced at the 'Sisters in Stitches' Quilt Show I attended last Saturday...but more about that later. In a future post. With pictures of some beautiful show quilts.

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, that bird may look familiar. It showed up first over here. My sample embroidery pieces often get turned into labels of some sort or another. This one was from the 2007 October Bonus Collection. (Had to consult my blog archives to find the original post.)

Here she is, Honeycomb Quilt #2. All stitched up in glorious living color.

This quilt was semi-randomly pieced, with a few "fussy cuts" to work in as many roses as possible, and layered with a medium-loft batting; hand-stitched "in the ditch", making it very soft and fluffy and totally irresistible. It's done! Woot! This calls for a celebraton.

It feels like summer is easing in early this year; time to stitch up some new tops and skirts to accommodate the warmer weather.

This 'summer smock' was something I just finished. A lesson on tucks. Although it didn't really start out that way. I decided to insert a tucked panel, AFTER I cut this out. Yes, it was an afterthought. One that actually worked out! I started with an older pattern, one I've made many times, mostly out of linen or chambray. I like this top because it 's casual and loose; comfortable for around the house and working in the yard.

Here's the pattern. Which now looks nothing like what I ended up with, but the back is the same. I also shortened the sleeves to 3/4" length, because I don't like to keep pushing them up while I'm working. For the neckline, I cut out a square self-faced yoke and stitched it over the top of the tucked portion. Somehow, it all went together beautifully.

Please excuse my figure model, she is easier to photograph than I am. I forgot to make allowances for the shoulders. Mine are not quite so "impressive", so this is a tad wide at the neckline. Making notes for next time, because I see more of these in my future.

Things are looking rosy around here. Thanks so much for the color suggestions for the flannel quilt; I took them to heart and then went digging in my stash for something to replace the letter blocks with. Since I had already used a pale pink micro fiber fleece, I was looking for something a few shades lighter. But without scraps to cull from I had to go to Plan B: plunder yardage from my future sewing projects. Somewhat dangerous territory. Actually though, as it turns out, I only had to cut one six-inch strip from the end of two different pieces, which gave me enough to work with while still leaving plenty of fabric for making nightgowns and pajamas, which is basically what all these scraps were left-over from, and what the uncut flannel was allocated for. So no harm done. Just perhaps a little out of sequence. We do what we have to do!

The newbies added to the mix consist of a bright flower-heart print and a small pink dot which reads "pale pink" from a distance. They pull everything else together rather nicely.

Here's the new and improved "random" arrangement. I think we're ready to roll on this one.

The addition of a pretty fabric border makes plain flour sack dish towels extra cute. The seam edge can be embellished with a decorative stitch either by hand or machine (as I have done here), for a nice finished look. The three vintage embroidery motifs are provided as a download that can be printed out and traced. A light table makes it easier. Check out my website for more dishes and china iron-on patterns HERE.

I don't think I can remember an April so lovely, the weather has been amazing. The tree peonies and azaleas are in full bloom. Everything is green and the sky is actually blue for a change.

I don't know where those yellow tulips came from. My garden always seems to be full of surprises. And speaking of flowers.

Honeycomb Quilt #3 in progress. Flowers are done and in their proper places. I've already started joining them to the connecting rows since this picture was taken. I know I promised you pictures of Honeycomb Quilt #2, but at the moment it's being used as a template for this quilt and I don't want to disturb the placement of my flowers in order to move it.

Silly me. But here's a little peek underneath.

Here's another quilt in progress. A group effort. We're using the design wall to see where we're at with this. Sometimes it helps to just stand back and look at the overall design. We don't have equal numbers of anything; the squares were all cut from scraps, so this will be a randomly pieced quilt, pretty much how it looks here. But those letter blocks aren't working for me. I'm thinking 'less is more'. Maybe plain white would be better. Sometimes a little white works wonders to calm more saturated colors and busy patterns.

An example in nature, from the tulip farm. Yep. I think white is right.

The crab apple trees are celebrating EARTH DAY by putting on a gorgeous show. I skipped outside this morning to snap a few pictures to share, and noticed a little black eye watching me from behind the foliage.

The doves have been cooing for a couple of weeks now; we guessed they had a nest nearby. This little darling sat on the fence post for quite awhile watching me watch her. Probably trying to decide if I was friend or foe. She looks so pretty in the rosy morning light.

On the weekend, we were all over on the coast celebrating the Hubster's birthday. Oh, how we love this house. It sits on five acres of wetlands and forest. The best of both worlds for nature lovers at heart. At night the frogs (along with the ocean) serenade us to sleep.

A short sandy path leads the way to the sea.

It was raining and cold when we arrived on Friday afternoon. We always keep our fingers crossed when visiting the coast, because the weather can change so quickly. And it did. In a very GOOD way for a change.

But, just in case. The wood pile is stacked and ready.

Treasures from the sea.

The estuary is full of birds and other wildlife. We thought we smelled a skunk too, so didn't stray too far into their domain.

Here we have a darling vintage pattern for 7 kitty task motifs, one for each day of the week; oh my, we should all be so industrious! Embroider them on dish towels, reusable cloth market totes, laundry bags or use them as quilt blocks. This pattern is available on the PatternBee website as an iron-on transfer as LITTLE KITTY TASKS, or download the pattern here, print it out and trace it for free!